When it comes to depression, everyone seems to be looking for ways to treat the symptoms, often without addressing the root of the problem. Doctors and patients will look for a specific herb or a pharmaceutical to treat their problem, but often fall short of digging deeper into underlying issues. Here are three points to remember for finding the root of depression.

Our neurotransmitters; serotonin and norepinephrine, are made of proteins. We can take all the Prozac we want, but if we do not have enough protein to make these neurotransmitters going, we will not be able to get to the root of the issue of depression.

John Myers, M.D., a physician at John Hopkins Hospital in the 1960s, was a big advocate of treating depression with intravenous vitamin C. He documented that most of his patients showed improvement within hours. Why would this simple solution showed such great results because serotonin and other neurotransmitters require an electron donor to be created. Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is the brain’s main electron donor. Patients can take a lot of 5 HTP (an amino acid), but it’s probably not going to get to the root of the issue without addressing the electron donor.

The British Medical Journal published an article stating that depression, bipolarity and schizophrenia may be gastrointestinal tract issues. For instance, conditions such as chronic inflammation of the brain caused by a compromised immune system can present as depression. Because the vast majority of our immune system is located in the gut, depression may suggest an unhealthy and out-of-balance gut. New probiotics that activate deep inside the small intestines are showing to be helpful with depression.

Dr. John Young, M.D., will be the keynote speaker, with more information about natural antidepressants, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Fall Natural Health Fest, Oct. 17, at the Wyndham Hotel, 800 Alpha Rd., in Dallas.  For more information, visit NaturalHealthFest.com.